In recent times, functional capabilities of computers and communication devices continue to migrate towards one another. Computers are used for electronic mail, file transfer, and even telephone communications. Communication devices such as mobile phones originally provided primarily telephone services, but now continue to gain processing power and capabilities traditionally limited to computers. For example, mobile devices now typically include capabilities to send and receive electronic mail (e.g., e-mail, Short Message Service, Multimedia Messaging Service, etc.), as well as data communication capabilities. These advances in mobile devices and the associated mobile network infrastructures allows mobile devices to gain access to content and other data that was once only within the ambit of larger, wired computers.
Mobile operators and service providers have taken advantage of these new capabilities of mobile terminals. A variety of mobile content is now available to mobile terminal users, including images, ring tones, music files, games, calendars, contact management, device utilities, and so forth. While these advances benefit operators, service providers, users and others involved in the content distribution chain, some complexities arise as a result of the various developers, service providers, operators and other vendors who provide services that ultimately enable this content to be provided to end-users. For example, the content/service providers need to be able to make their content/services available to the consuming public. Operators often have different service/content offerings, and need to have a way to identify and select the desired service/content that they will offer.
Another complexity involves the delivery and presentation of this content and/or services in a manner desired by the content providers and operators. Just as retail products are labeled according to the entity that makes the products, it is advantageous for mobile content/service providers and operators to present certain mobile content and services with their own look and feel. Currently, this is done by creating several variants of the applications, and installing them on terminals at the factory or otherwise prior to retail purchase or normal use. These different application variants present a significant burden to product development. For example, content may need to be ready months before the terminal is shipped or otherwise leaves the facility where the content is installed. Other disadvantages with such prior art methodologies is that it is difficult to later update the developers/operators desired user interface presentation characteristics once these application variants have initially been installed on the terminal.
Accordingly, there is a need for a manner of allowing developers, operators and the like to be able to brand their network-accessible products and services, while avoiding the burdens addressed above. The present invention fulfills these and other needs, and offers a variety of advantages over prior art solutions.